I'm a former England international and I've seen it all at one of Manchester's most iconic venues

“I considered myself very fortunate to be a professional cricketer for 20-odd years and to play with some world-class players, in world-class venues in front of world-class fans. Even to this day, Hegg isn’t like Smith so when people hear it they go ‘are you the cricketer?’ to which I then need to say ‘no I’m the ex-cricketer’ in a different life.”

Hegg, 56, was a key figure on the pitch at Old Trafford, captaining the side for many years in a career spanning 21 years. In 2006, when the time came to call it a day, he wasn’t ready to leave his beloved Lancashire. He has continued at the club in hospitality, advertising, sponsorship and now works within cricket operations at the club. 

“It was a quick transition,” Hegg said about moving to a position behind the scenes. “Twenty-one years as a playing professional and I had studied sports marketing with the Professional Cricketers’ Association. I was always set to retire in 2005 and I had things in place to work up and beyond in cricket. 

“It was then I got the opportunity to stay at the club and to use some of the things I had learned through studies into practice. The chiefs at the time thought it would be a good idea because of the service I had given to the club with the name I had in and around the county to move onto hospitality sales. This ended up being a perfect transition into a new job. I’ve really enjoyed it since.”

The first role fit with how one-time wicketkeeper Hegg had carried himself during his playing days with the Red Rose.

“When I was a player at the club and captain I always made myself available from high board ranking members right through to the guys who organised the car park who are still really good mates of mine now,” the man who played two Tests for England told Manchester World. “I’ve been around the club for around 35 years now and I can safely say I know how every department works and about the people involved in them.

“My first role which was very different to cricket, but I’ve always been good with people.  It came as a real challenge for me. I then moved into a more commercial sponsorship role which was also a new part of the game. I ended up as a Commercial Manager, and I really enjoyed that job. I had a hand in the Emirates deal when that first kicked off and I’m very proud to have been part of that process. We had a small team that was able to deliver.”

Emirates Old Trafford has become a huge gig venue in recent years, with 2024 being perhaps one of its biggest yet. Two Foo Fighters shows and a night of Green Day were a huge success in June.

“If you look down the list of bands that have been there, you’re looking at selling 50,000 tickets per night,” Hegg, from Whitefield, said. “This included Take That with five gigs in six nights, to The Killers, Foo Fighters, Beyonce and Rihanna. The operations that go on behind the scenes, both the SJM team and the Lancashire operations teams need a pat on the back. 

“This did come with its challenges of disruption at the cricket ground, and I understand the acrimony people have as this takes cricket away from Emirates Old Trafford, at the end of the day this is what is important to members and players alike.”

While some more traditional county cricket fans might not be too impressed with the transition from cricket ground to entertainment venue, Hegg believes the financial significance of it is something most Lancashire members have come to understand over the years. 

“The gigs bring a lot of money into the club, and I think the majority of members understand that now,” he said. “They understand that we are able to function a bit easier with the revenue that comes in. Saying that, I’ve always been an advocate that cricket should be number one at Old Trafford. We’re a massive club with great heritage and if the two can exist together in harmony, that’s the perfect scenario.”

Gigs aside, the Test Match venue is almost unrecognisable from when Hegg first pulled on his whites with the huge Point development, the renovations to the Hilton Hotel and the new players’ and media centre.

“I’ve seen it all, the transformation of the conference and cricketing facilities into what we have now at Emirates Old Trafford,” he said. “People come to attend conferences, cricket games, gigs, and car parking. It’s a different animal to the Old Trafford I first started at back in 1986. There’s a handful of people, including myself, who have been there through this whole time- we like to think of ourselves as the old guard.”

Hegg happened to speak to Manchester World on the day Jimmy Anderson took seven wickets for the county ahead of his imminent retirement as one of the best bowlers the game has ever seen.

“I was fortunate enough to captain Jimmy Anderson when he burst onto the scene at Lancashire,” he said. “We were blessed with this young lad who had come from the valleys in Lancashire who needed some technical work but bowled absolutely rapid deliveries. It was really exciting for the senior guys to see this young breath of fresh air come through. 

“I don’t think even Jimmy could have foreseen the success he’s had in the game. Everyone who was involved with him could see he had the potential to go to the very top. It’s no mistake he’s got there through hard work and a desire to win for club and country. No-one deserves the accolade of being the best fast bowler of all time more than Jimmy Anderson. 

“I’m proud as punch and absolutely made up to not only say I played with him but also to call him my mate.”